Swedish Roofs Can Handle Santa’s Sleigh – If He’s Careful

Santas from Sweden (R) and Russia race on their sleighs pulled by reindeers during a competition in the Santa Claus Wintergames in northern Swedish town of Gallivare, November 20, 2005. REUTERS/Pawel Kopczynski/

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STOCKHOLM (Reuters)

Sweden’s houses should be able to cope when Santa and his sleigh land on their snowy roofs this Christmas – as long as he doesn’t try to deliver too many presents in one go

The portly Father Christmas probably weighs about 150 kg (330 lb) and his reindeer and sleigh a tonne, the Swedish construction company NCC calculated, allowing another 50 kg for gifts.

Swedish building requirements would easily handle that weight, plus 50 percent extra pressure from the force of the landing on the roof, and half a meter of snow, construction designer Thomas Lecher said.

However, presents for all the world’s 2 billion children, as well as a sack big enough to hold them, would weigh at least 200,000 tonnes if delivered on a single run.

“Under that sort of pressure, a Swedish house would be about as strong as paper,” Lecher said. “But it is clear as day that he has access to some sort of Christmas magic.”